Setting tool for setting a downhole tool

Abstract

A setting tool for setting a downhole tool comprises a housing attached at its downhole end to a setting mandrel. A piston is slidably movable axially inside the housing and defines an upper and lower pressure chambers within the housing. A power charge is disposed in the piston. A crosslink sleeve supported on the setting mandrel is coupled to a crosslink key that extends into a slot in the wall of the setting mandrel, such that movement of the crosslink key along the slot also moves the crosslink sleeve axially relative to the mandrel. To actuate the setting tool, the power charge is ignited to increase pressure in the upper pressure chamber, thereby exerting an axial force on the piston to directly push the crosslink key, along with the crosslink sleeve, to shift downhole relative to the housing. The shifting of the crosslink sleeve sets the downhole tool.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A setting tool for use with a downhole tool, the setting tool having a run-in position and a set position, the setting tool comprising:
 a housing having a housing upper end, a housing lower end, a housing wall having a housing inner surface defining an axially extending housing inner bore;   a setting mandrel having a mandrel upper end, a mandrel lower end, a mandrel wall having a mandrel outer surface and a mandrel inner surface, the mandrel inner surface defining an axially extending mandrel inner bore, the mandrel upper end being connected to the housing lower end;   a piston comprising an upper open end and a lower closed end, at least a portion of the piston being disposed in the housing inner bore, and the at least a portion of the piston comprising a piston head in sealing engagement with the inner surface of the housing wall, the piston having defined therein a power charge chamber extending between the upper open end and the lower closed end, the power is charge chamber being in fluid communication with the housing inner bore via the upper open end, the piston configured to be slidably movable axially relative to the housing and the setting mandrel;   a power charge, at least a portion of the power charge being disposed in the power charge chamber; and   a crosslink sleeve supported about the mandrel outer surface,   wherein the setting tool is actuated upon ignition of the power charge to transition from the run-in position to the set position;   in the run-in position, the crosslink sleeve is secured to the setting mandrel such that the crosslink sleeve is stationary relative to the setting mandrel; and   in the set position, the piston is moved axially relative to the housing towards the mandrel lower end, and the crosslink sleeve is shifted axially, by the axial movement of the piston, relative to the setting mandrel towards the mandrel lower end.   
     
     
         2 . The setting tool of  claim 1  wherein the piston head comprises an upper piston face and a lower piston face, and the piston comprises a piston rod extending axially from the lower piston face to the lower closed end, at least a portion of the piston rod configured to be slidably movable axially in the mandrel inner bore. 
     
     
         3 . The setting tool of  claim 2  wherein an upper pressure chamber and a lower pressure chamber are defined in the housing inner bore, the upper pressure chamber being adjacent to the upper piston face and the lower pressure chamber being adjacent to the lower piston face, wherein the volume of the upper pressure chamber in the set position is greater than that in the run-position, and the volume of the lower pressure chamber in the set position is less than that in the run-position. 
     
     
         4 . The setting tool of  claim 3  wherein the housing wall has defined therethrough a vent port to allow fluid communication between the housing inner bore and the exterior of the housing, and wherein in the run-in position, the vent port is in fluid communication with the lower pressure chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The setting tool of  claim 4  wherein in the set position, the vent port is in fluid communication with the upper pressure chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The setting tool of  claim 3  wherein upon the ignition of the power charge, a gas in the power charge chamber is released into the upper pressure chamber via the upper open end. 
     
     
         7 . The setting tool of  claim 4  wherein in the run-in position, the setting tool comprises a breakable seal disposed in the vent port to block fluid flow through the vent port, and in the set position, the breakable seal is broken to permit fluid flow through the vent port. 
     
     
         8 . The setting tool of  claim 4  comprising an annular plug sealingly attached to the housing inner surface below the vent port, the annular plug having a central aperture through which a portion of the piston rod is sealingly received. 
     
     
         9 . The setting tool of  claim 1  comprising a crosslink key coupled to the crosslink sleeve, wherein the mandrel wall has defined therethrough an axially extending slot in which a portion of the crosslink key is received, the portion of the crosslink key being slidably movable along the length of the axially extending slot, and wherein the piston is configured to directly engage the crosslink key. 
     
     
         10 . The setting tool of  claim 9  comprising a retainer for securing the crosslink key to the crosslink sleeve and the portion of the crosslink key in the axially extending slot. 
     
     
         11 . The setting tool of  claim 1  comprising a shear screw, and wherein in the run-in position, the crosslink sleeve is secured to the setting mandrel by the shear screw, and in the set-position, the shear screw is broken to permit axial movement of the crosslink sleeve relative to the setting mandrel. 
     
     
         12 . The setting tool of  claim 1  wherein one or both of: the setting mandrel is configured to connect to a mandrel of the downhole tool; and the crosslink sleeve is configured to connect to a setting sleeve of the downhole tool. 
     
     
         13 . The setting tool of  claim 1  wherein one or both of: the setting mandrel is a mandrel of the downhole tool; and the crosslink sleeve is a setting sleeve of the downhole tool. 
     
     
         14 . The setting tool of  claim 1  wherein the setting tool is free of hydraulic fluid. 
     
     
         15 . The setting tool of  claim 7  wherein, in the run-in position, the lower pressure chamber contains a liquid. 
     
     
         16 . The setting tool of  claim 2  wherein the piston rod comprises a piston rod wall, and wherein the housing wall has a thickness in the range of 0.5″ and 0.9″ and the piston rod wall has a thickness in the range of 0.2″ and 0.5″. 
     
     
         17 . A method for setting a downhole tool in a wellbore, the downhole tool being attached to a setting tool, the method comprising:
 igniting a power charge disposed in a power charge chamber defined in a piston disposed in a housing of the setting tool, to release a gas from an upper open end of the power charge chamber;   increasing, by the gas, a first pressure in an upper pressure chamber in the housing above the piston to provide an increased first pressure in the upper pressure chamber, the upper pressure chamber being in fluid communication with the upper open end of the power charge chamber;   exerting an axial force on the piston by the increased first pressure in the upper pressure chamber;   engaging, by the piston, a crosslink key coupled to a crosslink sleeve supported on an outer surface of a setting mandrel connected a lower end of the housing, the crosslink sleeve being axially locked to the setting mandrel;   releasing, by the axial force, the crosslink sleeve from the setting mandrel;   shifting, by the axial force, the piston axially in a downhole direction relative to the housing;   pushing, by the piston, the crosslink key axially in the downhole direction relative to the setting mandrel to shift the crosslink sleeve downward relative to the housing; and   shifting, by the crosslink sleeve, a setting sleeve of the downhole tool.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  comprising, while shifting the piston, releasing a second pressure in a lower pressure chamber in the housing through a vent port in a wall of the housing, the lower pressure chamber being below the upper pressure chamber. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  comprising, after shifting the setting sleeve of the downhole tool, releasing at least some of the increased first pressure through the vent port. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein a portion of the crosslink key is received in an axially extending slot defined through a wall of the setting mandrel, and wherein pushing the crosslink key comprises pushing the crosslink key downward along a length of the axially extending slot. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17  comprising one or both of: while releasing the crosslink sleeve, absorbing shock by a plug secured to an inner surface of the housing; and absorbing shock by the plug when the piston reaches the end of a downward stroke, wherein a portion of the piston is received through the plug. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17  comprising retrieving the setting tool from the wellbore by wireline.